Making Sense of Faith: Trusting GOD When It Doesn’t Make Sense

Sometimes faith doesn’t make sense.

Sometimes what GOD calls us to do pushes against what feels logical, comfortable, or safe. The numbers don’t add up. The outcome isn’t clear. We know what GOD has said, but we have no idea how He is going to work it out.

Those are the moments when faith becomes more than something we talk about.

Proverbs 3:5–6 tells us:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Notice that Scripture doesn’t tell us not to understand. We should think, plan, study, seek counsel, ask questions, and consider the consequences.

The warning is against relying on our own understanding.

Our understanding is a tool. GOD is our foundation.

That gives us a working definition of faith:

Faith is trusting GOD enough to obey what He says, even when I cannot see how He will work it out.

Hebrews 11 shows us what that kind of faith looks like in real life.

Faith Can Look Crazy, But Faith Should Never Look Lazy

GOD warned Noah about something he had not yet seen, and Noah built.

GOD called Abraham to go, and Abraham went.

Throughout Hebrews 11, faith produces movement. Noah built. Moses left. Israel crossed. Rahab welcomed.

Biblical faith is not simply agreeing with GOD. Living faith moves.

That doesn’t mean doing something reckless and calling it “crazy faith.” Noah didn’t invent a big idea and ask GOD to bless it. GOD spoke, and Noah responded.

Sometimes we say we’re “waiting on GOD” when GOD has already made the next step clear.

Maybe it’s forgiving someone. Giving. Serving. Apologizing. Ending something. Beginning something. Sharing Jesus with someone.

Faith does not ask GOD to conform His will to our comfort. Faith allows GOD to conform us to His will.

Faith Is Not Always “Scareless,” But Faith Must Never Be Careless

Having faith does not mean never feeling afraid.

Moses faced real danger. Pharaoh was powerful, and the consequences of obedience were real. Faith did not require Moses to pretend those realities didn’t exist.

We can say, “This scares me,” and still trust GOD.

Fear can be present without being in charge.

But faith also isn’t recklessness.

Israel carefully followed GOD’s instructions for the Passover. Noah didn’t simply believe GOD; he prepared according to what GOD told him.

Faith can pray, plan, seek counsel, look at the budget, count the cost, consider consequences, and do due diligence.

Eventually, however, we reach the limits of what planning can accomplish.

There will still be things we cannot know or control.

Faith counts the cost without requiring the cost to eliminate the need for faith.

If we refuse to obey until every possible risk disappears, we may no longer be waiting for wisdom. We may be waiting for certainty.

And GOD never promised us risk-free obedience.

Faith Can Have Questions Without Questioning GOD’s Character

Hebrews 11 tells us that some people died in faith without receiving everything that had been promised during their lifetime.

That challenges the idea that faith is a formula where trusting GOD always produces the outcome we wanted on our timetable.

Sometimes faith looks like continuing to trust while we’re still waiting.

Abraham experienced this tension when GOD’s command concerning Isaac seemed impossible to reconcile with GOD’s promise concerning Isaac.

Abraham didn’t know how GOD would work it out.

But he trusted who GOD was.

There is room in faith for questions.

“GOD, how?”

“GOD, why?”

“GOD, when?”

Questions do not automatically equal unbelief. Faith can wrestle with GOD without walking away from GOD.

The deeper question is whether what we don’t know about our situation has become bigger than what we do know about our GOD.

Circumstances change. GOD doesn’t.

Our understanding is limited. His wisdom isn’t.

Our perspective is partial. His isn’t.

When we cannot understand the hand of GOD, we anchor ourselves in what Scripture has revealed about the heart of GOD.

He is good. He is wise. He is holy. He is faithful.

Taking the Next Faithful Step

This message also meets Westside at an important moment.

GOD has graciously grown our church, and growth brings questions about space, ministry capacity, children’s discipleship, resources, and what faithful stewardship requires next.

Bigger isn’t automatically better.

But small isn’t automatically holy either.

The question isn’t simply, “Can we get something bigger?” or “Can we stay where we’re comfortable?”

The question is:

What does faithful stewardship of what GOD has entrusted to us require next?

We don’t have every answer.

So we pray. Search. Plan. Prepare. Participate. Seek counsel. Count the cost. Ask hard questions.

And then we trust GOD with what we cannot control.

Who Gets the Final Word?

Christian faith isn’t positive thinking or believing hard enough to guarantee the outcome we want.

Our confidence has a name: Jesus.

There was a Friday when everything the disciples could see suggested the story was over. Jesus was crucified. The disciples scattered. The One they believed was the Messiah was dead.

But Friday wasn’t the end of the story.

Sunday came.

The resurrection reminds us that GOD can be working a plan we cannot see while we are standing in circumstances we cannot understand.

So when what GOD says and what we see seem to disagree, we return to Proverbs:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart.”

Faith doesn’t mean we know exactly what comes next.

It means we know Who we’re following.

And that is enough to take the next faithful step.